Lessons on Living from Moses, A GREEN-EY’D MONSTER

Daily Strength Blog

Exodus 1:9-10
And [the king] said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.”

Shakespeare called it a “green-ey’d monster.” The English poet John Dryden called it “the jaundice of the soul.” Most of us simply call it jealousy.

Under any name jealousy can have dreadful results. When a Pharaoh “who knew not Joseph” came to power in Egypt, he grew jealous and fearful of Israel’s pros perity. Consequently, he enslaved them to ensure they posed no threat to his rule.

When Herod heard from the Magi that a “King of the Jews” had been born, he jeal ously moved to guard his authority by committing a heinous crime. He ordered all the male babies in the vicinity of Bethlehem slain.

Jealousy in the life of a Christian is equal ly harmful. Ministries have been ruined, the work of the Spirit squelched and personal testimonies tarnished by a jealous attitude. Many years ago the famous sculptor Michelangelo and the equally famous painter Raphael were commissioned to create works of art for the beautification of the Vatican. Each had a different job to do and both were highly respected, yet there developed such a bitter spirit of rivalry between them that finally they would not even speak to one another when they met. Their jealousy was obvious to all who knew them in spite of the fact that they both were supposedly doing their work “for the glory of God.”

Never treat jealousy lightly. Confess it as sin; treat it as sin; forsake it as sin. Then pray for God’s blessing on the person or situation that aroused the jealousy. You may be surprised to find the overflow of that blessing filling your own life. Jealousy in your life creates barrenness in your soul. It’s time to get rid of the jealousy and enjoy the blessing.